Pant was elected to the United Province (renamed Uttar Pradesh by Pant himself) Legislative Assembly as a Swarajist candidate from Nainital. He made a strong impression on the congressmen present in the U.P. Legislative Assembly by giving a remarkable speech on the subject of eroding hills. Pant focused on rapidly passing bills concerning social as well as political reforms badly needed at the time under British Raj. Thus internal reforms became an integral part of Pant's agenda. Many issues such as zamindari, forest preservation, amongst others were addressed in the Legislative Assembly.
In 1925, a few freedom fighters stopped a train and looted government money near Lucknow. The British began to indiscriminantly arrest freedom fighters. Pant tried relentlessly to defend the arrested freedom fighters in court, but the administration had dictated their sentences well before the trial. Three of the men were convicted and hanged while others were given life sentences.
Congress voted to boycott the Simon Commission on account of its all-white panel. The Commission landed in Lahore on October 11, 1928. In a demonstration Lala Lajpat Rai was struck down by lathis and Pant was severely injured (the physical impact would incapacitate him rest of his life) in a procession in Lucknow
After Gandhiji's Salt Satyagraha in March of 1930, Pant organized a massive salt movement in the United Provinces. In May of 1930 he was arrested and held at Dehra Dun jail. After his release he worked relentlessly against the zamindars and government to protect farmers from high rents. His pleas for lower rents went unanswered and eventually a major famine struck the region.
Pant was arrested for a period of seven months because he attended provincial Congress session in Uttar Pradesh when the Government banned it. Pant joined the U.P. Legislative Council in 1935 when the Government of India Act allowed a provincial government.
In the U.P. ministry, Pant saw the problem of untouchability that had concerned Gandhiji for many years. Pant tried to reach the root of untouchability, which was in prevalence in remote areas where Gandhiji's preachings had not yet reached. Pant reformed many areas during his post. Education, labor's plight and farmers' fight against zamindars were some of the social reforms he focused on.
While the world was submerged in the second World War, India saw a rift develop between the extremist and moderate wings of the Congress. The moderates supported Gandhiji in assisting the British Crown in the war efforts, and the other believed in Subash Chandra Bose's ideology of taking advantage of the situation and toppling the British Raj from India through all means possible. Pant was called to act as a peacemaker, and urged the Congress to support Gandhiji.
In 1940 Pant was arrested on the charge of helping in the satyagraha movement and was sent to Almora prison. On launching "Quit India" resolution in 1942, all the prominent Indian leaders, including Pant, were arrested. Pant was sent to Ahmednagar Jail. From jail he wrote to his children and kept busy writing on political matters. Pant's health continued to deteriorate and finally Nehru had to plead for his release. Pant was released in March of 1945.
After Independence, Pant was nominated Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. During his office, the state faced numerous problems; poverty, black-marketing and unemployment being some of them. The state witnessed many insurgent riots, following partition. Pant traveled to inflicted areas to calm the people. He abolished the zamindari system and worked on many other bills to help farmers. He saw that Harijans were treated fairly, and concentrated on developing the education, medical and industrial (mainly cottage) sectors.
Upon the death of Sardar Patel, Nehru called on Pant to take the position of Home Minister. The most renowned work that he accomplished as Home Minister was to make Hindi the official language of India. In 1957, the Government of India honored Pant with the Bharat Ratna award.
In 1960 Pant suffered a heart attack. In February of 1961, he fell ill while still in office and died on March 7, 1961 after slipping into a coma for several days.